In today’s episode, let me introduce you to Michael Juergens, founder of the Bhutan Wine Company.

He is a senior partner with a Big Four consulting firm, where he runs the Winery Solutions practice, overseeing the portfolio of services the firm provides to wineries. He is also a certified specialist in wine, a certified sommelier, and a Stage 2 candidate to become the 58th American to qualify as a Master of Wine. Michael has written a number of books on wine, and runs the wildly popular Drinking & Knowing Things wine blog. He is the founder of the Bhutan Wine Company, and is leading the development of the wine industry in this magical Himalayan country. He owns the award winning SoCal Rum company, which was recently awarded the highest point score in history for any silver rum (95 points). Michael is also a professor at the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of CA, Irvine. Michael plays the drums in a punk rock band, and spends his free time running adventure races in exotic locations around the world, building.   

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 – 10:15] Getting into the Winery Program

• The importance of two professional certification tracks  
• Michael shares how he started wanting to learn more about winery
• How he convinces his firm to start a winery business, and be in charge

[10:16 – 23:49] Starting Side Projects on Winery

• Starting as a small sommelier
• Deciding to write wine novels
• Michael shares his experience on Bhutan and their wine culture

[23:50 – 35:40] Lessons Learned During Winery Business

• The Importance of the story of your wine business to resonate with you and your values
• Differentiating winery as business, art or as an assignment as the spectrum
• Aligning story against demographic as a scale with economic viability 

[35:41 – 44:12] Closing Segment

• Learn everything you need to grow your wine, business, or brand with Wine Business Bootcamp where I help other wine producers master the fundamentals of digital marketing, nail their customer experience, and convert more wine tasters into their wine clubs and other offers. Just send me a dm or email at kris@krislevy.comwith the subject: Wine Business Bootcamp
• Favorite Wine: Burgundy
• Favorite go-to pairings
• • Vintage champagne with steak
  • Sauternes with caviar
• Wine Resource
• • Drinking
  • Knowing things

Connect with Michael 

Website: http://www.bhutanwine.com/ 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at kris@krislevy.co. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram!

 JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Tweetable Quotes:

“If you can grow the best guava in the world, you should be able to grow some pretty damn interesting grapes for wine.”  - Michael Juergens

“You've either got to be on the, we're selling a product to make a product to sell. Or we're trying to do something interesting. I think the people in the middle of that are gonna be less successful than the people on the outside.”  - Michael Juergens

In today’s episode, let me introduce you to Mike Sinor, Founding Winemaker of Ancient Peaks Winery.

Raised in Visalia, California, Mike attended college at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where he financed his education by working at several local wineries— an experience that ignited his career in winemaking. As Ancient Peaks’ founding winemaker, Mike was an integral force in the establishment of the winery. He came in as one of the Central Coast’s highest-rated winemakers and immediately reinforced that reputation with Ancient Peaks’ 2006 Zinfandel (93 points, Wine Spectator) and many wines thereafter. Today, Mike continues to direct the quality and style of Ancient Peaks wines, and he maintains a guiding hand in the winery’s estate Margarita Vineyard.

Let’s dive into his wine story!

[00:01 – 09:45] Falling in Love with Winemaking

• Mike shares his wine origin story
• Not growing up with classic food or wine and ended up working for six small brand wineries
• How El Paso de Robles is a great place to be about wine - still the Wild West

[09:46 – 23:05] The Backstory of Ancient Peaks Winery

• The birth of Ancient Peaks Winery - at the right place and the right time
• Building connections to invite opportunities in the wine industry
• Mike explains the realities of the grower and winemaker processes

[23:06 – 28:26] Work Hard and Have an Open Mind

• Mike talks about their wines
• Dealing with extremes - adapting and overcoming
• Do not make excuses and dedicate yourself to your passion

[28:27 – 33:37] Closing Segment

• Learn everything you need to grow your wine, business, or brand with Wine Business Bootcamp where I help other wine producers master the fundamentals of digital marketing, nail their customer experience, and convert more wine tasters into their wine clubs and other offers. Just send me a dm or email at kris@krislevy.comwith the subject: Wine Business Bootcamp
• Favorite Wine
• Favorite go-to pairing
• • Tri-tip with salsa and Ancient Peaks’ Renegade
• Wine Resource
• • Internet
  • YouTube
  • Podcasts

Connect with Mike

Website: https://ancientpeaks.com/ 

Let’s continue the Everyday Wine Conversations and connect with me through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or feel free to shoot me an email at kris@krislevy.co. You can also check out my website at ​www.​klevywineco.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help us get the word out there! Share this podcast to someone who wants to join the wine conversations. Go ahead and take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag me on Instagram!

 JOIN THE CLUB through this link and handpick wines every month, from up and coming wineries, winemaker owned brands and wineries with unique stories while supporting those wineries directly. You can also join our Facebook Group to connect with other wine lovers, get special tips and tricks, and take your wine knowledge to a whole new level.

Tweetable Quotes:

“I knew where I was going. I knew I wanted to work for a great winemaker… I went to Cal Poly to be an educator… You know, I think education is a great part of life.”  - Mike Sinor

“Understand what it takes, details to make great wine, to grow wine… It takes years to get the reputation, to get the contacts, and the network, you know?... It's a grind, and it really is a grind.”  - Mike Sinor